Wood-splitting machine



Apr. 17,1923. 1,452,387

K.,.MUKA| WOOD SPLITTING MACHINE Filed April 17 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet l IIIF IN VEN TOR. /K Mu/m/ ATTORNEY- 4 K. MUKAI WOOD SPLITTING MACHINE Filed April- 17, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ff. Mu/m/ ATTORNEY ,ing the construction of the tog Patented Apr. 17, 1923.

- UNITED stares KICHIMATSU IVIUKAI, OF SAN FIEtAl'il'CISCO, CALIFORNIA.

VTOOD-SPLITTING MACHINE.

Application filed April 17, 1922. Serial No. 553,368. i

To MU u /10m it may concern. Be it known that I,l I1 onIMATsU MUKA], a subject of the Emperor of Japan, residing at San Francisco, in th county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in bod-Splitting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in wood splitting machines. g

The principal object of this invention is to devise means whereby wood may be split without the usual manual effort.

Another object is to produce a device of this character which is simple in construction and one which may be constructed of standard parts without considerable expense.

Another object is to provide a structure which will be positive in operation, thereby causing the splitting element to penetrate entirely through the wood to be split. 1

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which like numerals are-employed to designate 30 like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a top plan view of my device,

Figure 2 is a side elevation of Figure 1 partly broken away,

Figure 3 is a cross-section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2,

Figure l is a detail cross-section showgle members,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary detail view showing the manner of attaching one of the splitting members,

Figures 6 and 7 are detail perspective views of the splitting members.

Heretofore, as far as applicant is aware, the splitting of logs into convenient sizes for fuel purposes has been a laborious task, the same requiring the swinging of an ax or a driving of wedges into the logs. I propose to eliminate this laborious work, and at the same time enable the operator to split a much larger quantity of wood by mechanically forcing splitting elements into opposite sides of the wood to be split.

In the accompanying drawings wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the

numeral 8 designates a base which is preferably elevated slightly above the foundation 9 as by blocks 11, 12 and 13. I Upon the base8 are securedparallel I beams 14 and 16. These I beams are each adapted to support a substantially triangular shaped men1-- her as shown at 17 and 18. Upon these triangular. shaped members are mounted bearings 19 and 21 within which is journaled a shaft 22. This shaft 22 serves to support .a gear 23rigidly secured thereto. A second gear-24 is also secured upon the shaft 22 and is adapted to mesh with a gear 26 mounted upon a shaft 27.. This shaft27' 1s journaled as at 28 and-29 upon the base of the triangular shaped members 17 and 18.

At 3LT have shown a shaft supported in the bearings 32 and This shaft has a gear 34 secured thereto and is provided at its outer extremity with a pulley 36 for the purpose of delivering power to the first mentioned gears. The numerals 37 and 38 designate parallel I beams which are mounted upon the base 8, parallel to the I beamsl i and 16 but spaced to one side thereof, while the numerals 30 and 35 refer to connecting braces. TheseI beams 37 and 88 serve to support bearings 39 and 411 within which is journaled a shaft 12.

This shaft serves to pivotally support rocking levers 4L3 and 4A. The malner of moving therocking levers on the shaft 42 is best shown in Figure 3, where it will be noted that U shaped bolts 46 and 4:7 serve to maintain. the lever 43 upon the shaft 42,

while the U shaped bolt 4-8 serves to hold the lever 44 upon the shaft 42. It will be further noted. that the lever 43 is bifurcated to provide for the lever 44. These levers are each provided with a short jaw end as shown at 4.9 and 51. The jaw end 49 is dovetailed to receive a splitting element 52, which is retained therein as by a bolt 53. This splitting element 52 is best shown in Figure 6 where it will be noted that the point thereof is provided with a bifurcated portion 54 between which the tip 56 of a splitting element 57 is adapted to pass. v o This splitting element 57 is adapted to be seing their free ends pivoted to the levers 4:3

necting link 66, which connecting link has connection with the pivot 62 and is secured at its free end to a pin 67 secured in a. crank 68. This crank is keyed upon the shaft 2-7. A guide 69 is provided which guide travels in slots 71 formed adjacent the upper edge of the I-beams 37 and 38. i This guide causes an equal transmission of movement to the levers 43 and a l. The numeral 72 designates a yoke to which I secure a! spring 7 3, the free end of which is secured to the lever 43. At 741- and 75 I have shown log engaging members which are adapted to retain the wood or log in alignment with the: splitting members while the same is being worked upon. It will be noted that the yokes have their extremities detachably connected. At 76 I have shown a spring secured to the lever 4-4 and to one of the parallel members as 38. The springs 73 and 76 tend to balance the long end of the levers 43 and 44 in order to secure a little smoother action.

The operation of my device is as followr:-

A log to be split is placed between the yokes 74 and '75 so as to lie in the path between the splitting elements 57 and 52. Power is then applied to the pulley 36 which power is transmitted through the gears to the crank 68. This crank in turn transmits a reciprocating motion through the link 66 to the toggfile members 59 and 61. These toggle members cause the spreading of the levers 43- and 44 at the ends to which the toggles are secured, with the consequent movement towards each other of the split- 57 and 52. As these splitting elements are caused to enter the wood, the same will act as a wedge such as commonly employed in splitting wood with the result that the desired splitting will be accomplished.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape. size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to Without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim In a. device of the character described, the combination with a base, gears mounted on said base, a crank adapted to be rotated by said gears, a pin carried by said crank, a connecting rod extending from said crank and adapted to deliver reciprocating motion, toggle means pivoted to said connecting rod, levers mounted above said base, each of said levers being provided with a jaw portion, a wood splitting element mounted in each of said jaw portions, one of said elements being provided with a bifurcated top and the other of said elements being provided with a single top, said splitting elements being arranged in said jaws at right angles to each other so that the top of one splitting element will enter the bifurcated portion of the other splitting element, the opposite end of said levers beting elements 111g, pivotally connected to the free end of said toggle members, substantially as and for the purpose described. a

In testimony whereof I allix my signature.

KICHIMATSU MUKAI. 

